One Woman’s Solo Backpacking Trip to Chilean Patagonia

Editor’s Note: Sonia Malfa is a Puerto Rican film director, writer, backpacker and wilderness educator. Learn more about their work here.

Before I became a filmmaker, I worked as an outdoor educator leading wilderness trips. I always dreamed of backpacking in the Patagonian wilderness. Last year I crossed this dream off my bucket list with a solo backpacking trip to the sublime mountains, valleys, and glaciers of Chilean Patagonia.

After two days of travel and four flights, I arrived in Puerto Natales, the gateway to the magnificent Torres del Paine National Park. The 700,000 sq mile preserve is known for its granite towers, ice fields, and alpine lakes. I worked with the local guide group Las Torres to get permits for a self-guided, five-day W-Trek in the park.

Since I was hiking alone, I chose to stay in the lodges which provide meals and dorm-style bunk beds along the trek. This meant I could carry more camera gear with the goal of shooting a portfolio of photos and videos. The first day was a 14-mile, 2,625 ft roundtrip hike from Central Mountain Hostel to Tres Torres (Three Towers). I contemplated leaving at 3 a.m. with some of the hikers in my dorm room to witness the sunrise “burn” on the Towers but opted for a 6 a.m. departure in order to not overdo it on my first day. 

I hiked by myself but I was rarely alone. I was surrounded by backpackers from around the globe, summoned like sailors to the siren call of the majestic Towers. The day was filled with magical wonder - from countless rainbows, awe-inspiring landscapes, and a glimpse of a giant condor soaring through the vertical, granite monoliths to its nest. But there were also challenges, namely the relentless, steep rocky ascents buffeted by strong winds. 

JOURNAL ENTRY 1:

I made the mistake of carrying too much weight. I should have never brought a 70-200mm zoom lens; it’s weighing me down.  It was grueling on today’s 14-mile hike to have this extra weight, so I stashed a few lenses under a fallen tree in a forest before the ascent to Torres Del Paine and picked them up on the way back down. The question is what do I do for the rest of the hike: do I turn back and lose the extra camera gear or continue forward? 

There is a reason the W-Trek is one of the most sought-after hikes in the world.  The picturesque park was designated as a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 1978 and the 8th Natural Wonder by TripAdvisor. It is a mesmerizing beauty filled with rugged mountains, pristine turquoise lakes, countless glaciers and deep evergreen forests. The mercurial weather changes throughout the day, ranging from clear sunny skies to gray clouds and sudden rain storms. Then there are the rainbows. I once saw six rainbows in a single day; I felt blessed! 

Patagonia is so pristine that you can safely drink running water from streams and creeks without worrying about filtering. After all, the principal source comes from the glaciers or the mountains. As a visitor from NYC, that act alone gave me an incredible sense of freedom. As a Puerto Rican with mixed African and Indigenous ancestry, I felt the power and privilege of being able to drink water in motion from its source. As I bent over collecting water, I felt connected to a distant Taino ancestor, and imagined her collecting water to quench her thirst. 

JOURNAL ENTRY 2:

Living in New York City, a vortex of constant movement, sound, and energy, I cherish being able to be in Patagonia in deep, quiet wilderness. Sometimes we need to remove all of the familiar and be in the unknown to be able to see who we truly are. When I walk all day alone,  undisturbed by phone calls or conversations with others, I’m able to observe my thoughts clearly and to see the loops of subconscious thought patterns. Only when we have removed the distractions and we sit in the calm quiet can we understand and hear our true selves.

Be in the flow. Be open. Be present.

One of the wonders of being in Patagonia is that everyone you meet is an adventurer at heart. At the end of the night, I would often end up sharing dinner or a dorm with strangers and we would recall our hero’s journey (or side quest) of the day. To be with like-minded souls from all over the world, many of whom had very different politics, religious beliefs and ideologies, was invigorating. At the end of the day, we all shared a reverence and passion for nature. 

I was pleasantly surprised at how many solo woman travelers I came across on the trail. It was inspiring and refreshing. I came to find out that the W Trek, with its extensive hut system, is one of premier hiking trails for solo women hikers. These women became each other’s support on the trek, hiking together at times, and regularly meeting for drinks before dinner. It was at one of these solo women gatherings that I was introduced to Chile’s national drink, the pisco sour, a tangy grape brandy with egg white.

JOURNAL ENTRY 3:

I sat and watched the silvery moonrise. 

It peaked out from the horizon line,

to ascend high into the obsidian sky,

a full-bodied, ethereal globe 

illuminating the shadowy lake below.

There was also the pain of the steep daily climbs with few traverses. The incessant wind was one of the most powerful winds I had ever experienced—like an unstoppable river of air.

After five days of walking all day long, my body was both invigorated and exhausted. I was truly in awe of my body's ability to adapt to the environment and push beyond my physical limits. It was truly a gift to be able to walk for days on end and do nothing but observe your thoughts and absorb the infinite power of nature.

JOURNAL ENTRY 4:

I  feel so blessed - Andy and Amber, a couple from England who I bunked with the first night, helped me carry my extra camera weight.  After expressing my concern for my extra weight, Andy offered to take it. At first I resisted. In all my years backpacking I have never needed to pass off weight. I typically was the person helping others out by taking their extra pounds. But I was honest with myself, I needed help. So I let go of my ego and allowed myself to receive support.  This was a powerful lesson I learned on the trail - a lesson of surrender and learning to receive help. It was really challenging for me but ultimately I felt empowering and incredibly supported by perfect strangers. 

The message is very clear - LOSE THE WEIGHT. Anything that does not serve me, whether it be physical or emotions, it’s time to let go.

In awe of the incredible Grey Glacier behind me, which is over 18,000 years old! 

The trek ended with a day hike along Grey Lake to the Grey Glacier that created it, two of the park’s most spectacular sights. I reveled in it being my last day and being able to walk with just a small day pack to the glacier. As I walked along the lake, I observed fluorescent blue pieces of glacier floating like mysterious moving islands. After several passed by, I couldn’t help but stop and wonder, ‘Is that what it looks like when glaciers melt? Is this the result of global warming?’ 

When I finally arrived at the 18,000-year-old Grey Glacier,  I stood in awe of its breathtaking beauty. This trip had been exhausting, humbling, and awe-inspiring. I realized that my time at Torres del Paine had been about returning home to nature and reveling in its magic. I felt so protective of this beautiful earth we live in; it left me wanting to do whatever I could to honor and respect it.

I cried when I left Patagonia. I wept for days. The only way I could explain the emotions was the way I felt when I left my grandparents’ home in Puerto Rico and headed back to the mainland. I knew I wouldn’t see them for a while and I would miss them dearly. I would long for the sense of home I felt with them in Puerto Rico. This was the same feeling I felt in Patagonia. Nature will always be my soul's home; where I quench my thirst with peace and healing in its vast beauty and silent symphony. I give thanks for the opportunity to spend time in the precious wilderness of Patagonia and I look forward to returning home soon.